Bradley baseball lost to the Dayton Flyers this past weekend. The team was swept and fell to 2-7 on the season.
O’Brien’s career game not enough
The Braves started with a 4-0 lead in the first game. A three-run home run by senior first baseman Timmy O’Brien got things started. On Friday, O’Brien had an out-of-body performance, mashing three home runs and driving in six runs for the Braves
“We knew the wind was going to be blowing out, and when that’s the case sometimes guys try to get too big,” O’Brien said. “I tried to take my normal approach, just put the ball in play hard. I was able to just elevate some balls, and they were able to carry them out.”
Despite O’Brien’s slugging, the Braves gave up the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth and lost the game 11-10. Mason Briedenbach and Bobby Atkinson continued their strong starts to the season, each amassing multiple hits in the contest.
Darkness, then fireworks
Game two started directly after game one on Friday. Darkness caused a stoppage in the middle of the game, and the match had to be postponed to Sunday morning. When play resumed, sparks flew.
The teams combined for seven runs in the first inning alone, sending each team to the bullpen before the first frame was up.
Down 4-3 after the first inning, the Braves kept battling and eventually took the lead 6-5 in the fourth inning after an RBI single from senior catcher Nick Hosie. Taking the reins as the full-time catcher this season, Hosie has improved in every series as he gets back into the swing of things.
“It’s just getting comfortable again, not playing much last year,” Hosie said. “I put a lot of pressure on my hitting because that will put me in the lineup, and now knowing that I’m going to be in the lineup makes me relax a bit. As time passes, the more comfortable I get, the more pitches I see, making it easier to go up there, see the ball better and hit.”
Unfortunately, Dayton responded with six unanswered runs over the next two innings, taking the game 11-7.
Swing and miss
The Braves fell 9-3 to cap the Flyers sweep. Held to just four hits, the Flyers needed just two pitchers to keep the bats at bay. Hosie led the Braves with two more hits, and freshman infielder CJ Trask added an RBI triple.
As they travel to West Virginia, the Braves look to bounce back this weekend in a series against Marshall.
